Cash-strapped Falcons Fail to Fly Against Bayana Bayana

Cash-strapped Falcons Fail to Fly Against Bayana Bayana ...player cries over non-payment of bonuses ...NFF owes each player $6,000 By Muibat Aniyikaye in Ghana African Women Cup of Nations defending champion, Super Falcons on Saturday lost 0-1 to Bayana Bayana of South Africa in their Group B opening match at the Cape Coast stadium, Ghana, BSNSports.com.ng reports. A 86th minute goal by substitute Chrestinah Kgatlana earned the South African maximum three points and place them in a better position to qualify with just a win in their next two group matches. The shock defeat was the first lost for the Super Falcons in their first matches since the maiden edition of the tournament in 1991. Falcons have to win their next two group games against two-times champions, Equatorial Guinea and Zambia. Throughout the match against Bayana Bayana, the Falcons lacked focus, team work, purpose and hardly put strings of passes together. The poor display may not be unconnected with how they were being treated and neglected by the NFF. Over a year after they emerged champions two years ago in Cameroon, there was no match for the senior women national team. In their first friendly international game after a year, few days after Super Falcons coach, Thomas Dennerby was unveiled, they were humiliated with 8-0 bashing by France Women National team in the coach first national team outing. Less than two weeks ago, much to the surprise of many football followers, they embarked on the final leg of preparation for the 2018 AWCON in Abidjan clad in mufti, looking very much like a hastily assembled team. The team traveled to Abidjan in different attires, with reports that their kits were held at the Muritala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, due to lack of funds to clear them. BSN sports.com.ng gathered that the eight-time African champions, Super Falcons are allegedly owed bonuses totalling $6,000 per player for their 2018 AWCON qualifying wins over Gambia in Banjul and Lagos. They are also allegedly owed camp allowances for the competition. "Yes, we are being owed $6,000 for the two matches against Gambia. Since we began camping for the competition, we have not received any allowances and we are at the competition without assurance of receiving the bonuses," one of the players, who spoke on anomity, said.